


I Like You A Latte

by mywildrose223



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Bakery and Coffee Shop, Barista John Watson, Barista Sherlock Holmes, Co-workers, Coffee, Coffee Shops, First Meetings, Johnlock - Freeform, M/M, Medical Student John Watson, Meet-Cute, Student John
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2020-01-11 07:28:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18425811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mywildrose223/pseuds/mywildrose223
Summary: John meets the attractive, new barista working at Mrs. Hudson's coffee shop.This isn't a very helpful summary, I apologize.I also really enjoy coffee puns so I do not apologize for the cheesy title (besides, I couldn't think of anything else).





	1. Chapter 1

After his classes, John headed to his favorite coffee shop to get a relaxing cuppa and perhaps have one of the owner’s delicious biscuits. He opened the shop’s old wooden door and entered. The door’s bell rang to announce his presence. The owner, a kind elderly woman named Mrs. Hudson, came out from the back to greet him.

“John, why isn’t it a pleasure to see you, dear. How are you?” she asked, giving him a smile.

“I’m good Mrs. Hudson. Just got done with my classes for the day. How’s business been?”

“A bit on the slow side, but you know how it is. There are good days and bad days… Can I get you anything?”

“Yeah, I could really go for a cuppa. And maybe a custard cream as well?”

“Of course, dear. Would you like Earl Grey for your tea like you usually do or something else?”

“Earl Grey. He’s someone who rarely strays from routine. That’s why he thinks he’ll do well in the military,” said a deep voice. John looked over and saw a tall boy who looked about his age come out from the back room. John’s eyes were drawn to the boy’s head of untamed curls, dark as the sky during the winter solstice. The black curls were juxtaposed against his pale, smooth skin. John didn’t think the boy could look any more perfect until he saw those plump, cupid’s bow lips. They looked soft and kissable. John licked his lips unconsciously.

_Talk about tall, dark, and handsome… He’s wearing an apron, so he must be a new employee._

“Ah, Sherlock! This is John, he comes in here fairly regularly. John, this is Sherlock. He started working here just a few days ago, but he’s so intelligent he’s learned everything already!” Mrs. Hudson laughed. “I’ll let you finish up John’s order, dear. I have some biscuits in the back to check on,” she told Sherlock, patting his arm.

Once Mrs. Hudson had gone into the back kitchen, John turned to Sherlock. “How… Er, how did you know that I’m thinking of going into the military? You’re spot on, of course, but how could you possibly know that?” John asked him.

“I didn’t know, I saw. Your haircut, the way you hold yourself, makes it clear that you come from a strict background, so an authority figure in your life is military, possibly former military. A parent, most likely your father. Furthermore, you simply asked for “a cuppa.” If you weren’t a regular, you would have asked what types of tea are available here. So you already one in mind. You didn’t need to specify because you come here fairly often and each time order Earl Grey, which is why Mrs. Hudson remembers your preferred tea. Then there’s your bag. It’s fairly worn, so you’ve had it for a long time. Even took the time to patch it up. You find comfort in the familiar. But the certainty of structure and routine you’d find in the army isn’t your only reason for wanting to join. No, you want to be a doctor. There’s a medical textbook sticking out of your bag. Not the usual reading a student takes up during their spare time, is it? So judging by the state of your bag and the secondhand textbook sticking out of it, you probably can’t afford to get your degree without the assistance that would be provided by entering the army.”

“Brilliant!” John breathed, looking into the boy’s pale blue eyes.

_He has beautiful eyes. Like sunlight shining through water, blue tinted diamonds, ice with a fire burning behind them…_

Sherlock tilted his head. “That’s not what people usually say,” he told John.

“Oh? And what do people usually say then?”

“Piss off.”

John laughed. “Well, they’re idiots then. That was absolutely amazing what you just did. Definitely personal and a bit invasive, but incredible nonetheless.”

Sherlock blushed. He looked down at his shoes and then back up at John after a moment. “Er… shall I get you that tea and biscuit then?”

_He’s so gorgeous. He’s even more beautiful when he blushes. That pink tint spreading across pale skin…_

John realized Sherlock was still waiting for his answer. He cleared his throat. “Y-yes. That would be great, thank you.”

“I-I’ll bring it to you as soon as it finishes steeping if you want to find a seat,” Sherlock stammered, cheeks still pink.

“Alright, thanks.” John smiled at Sherlock and made his way over to a table by the window, setting his bag down on the floor before sitting. He looked out the window at the cars passing by, thinking about a certain dark-haired barista. John knew he’d be coming to his favorite coffee shop a lot more often from now on...


	2. Chapter 2

“John, dear! Back again so soon?” Mrs. Hudson asked as John entered the coffee shop.

“Well, you know me. There’s no such thing as too much tea. Besides, you make the best biscuits in all of London.”

“Oh, John! You flatterer,” Mrs. Hudson replied, blushing. “Can I get you anything, dear?”

“Just some tea today. And make it to go, please” John responded. He dug his wallet out of the back pocket of his jeans and set the money on the counter.

“Are you sure you don’t want a biscuit with that?”

“No, I’m trying to cut back; running low on money. I’ve been meaning to get a job, but school and rugby have kept me so busy that it hasn’t really been my priority.” He shrugged and looked down at the floor. He felt sort of embarrassed sharing his financial problems, especially with Mrs. Hudson. She was a motherly type and would be sure to fret over him.

“Why don’t you work here? I could use another worker to help out,” Mrs. Hudson said, handing him his tea in a paper cup.

"Really? That’d be wonderful! When would you want me to start?” John eagerly answered.

“How about tomorrow afternoon? You’d be working with Molly.”

“Great! Thank you so much!”

Mrs. Hudson smiled and patted his cheek, “don’t mention it dear,” she said, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Enjoy your tea.”

**

The next day, John was a whirlwind of movement. His anatomy professor wouldn’t stop talking even when the class had ended and John didn’t want to miss out on any information in case it ended up on the test. He’d kept eyeing the clock nervously, not wanting to leave while the professor was still lecturing but also not wanting to be late for his first day at Mrs. Hudson’s shop. As soon as the class was finally over, he’d haphazardly shoved his books and notes in his brown, well-worn bag and ran out of the classroom and sprinted across campus. His bag was filled to the brim with thick textbooks and notes and was a heavy weight where it was slung over his shoulder. The weight made his shoulder ache even though he should be used to carrying around what felt like a ton of bricks as a med student. John couldn’t afford to let his hefty bag slow him down. He pulled the strap higher up on his shoulder and powered through. He knew Mrs. Hudson would be understanding if he was late, but he didn’t want to begin his new job off on a bad start.

He got to Mrs. Hudson’s shop with about two minutes to spare. His breathing was heavy and it was clear that he’d ran the entire way there. Mrs. Hudson came out of the kitchen when she heard the door chime.

“John! How are you today, dear? Ready to start your new job?” she asked cheerfully.

“Yep,” John answered, popping the last consonant. He’d finally gotten his breathing under control and gave her a smile.

“Well, why don’t you bring your bag into the back and we’ll get you an apron.” John followed her into the kitchen and set his bag on the bench she gestured to. She then showed him where to clock in and out and had him put an apron on and wash his hands.

“Cleanliness is happiness, dear, that’s my motto,” she told him, as he washed his hands in the sink.

“Mrs. H according to you, everything is your motto,” a voice said. John turned and realized Molly had been washing dishes quietly the entire time he and Mrs. Hudson had been back there.

“Molly Hooper, I can have as many mottos as I like. You’d better keep in mind that I’m the one who signs your paychecks,” Mrs. Hudson told her with a laugh.

“Yes, Mrs. H,” Molly replied, smiling.

“Well, dears, I have some errands to run so I’ll leave you to it. Molly, make sure to show him how the register works. That’s the main thing he’ll be working on for now.”

“No problem, Mrs. H.”

“You two have fun! Bye, now!” Mrs. Hudson said. Her two employees called out their farewells as she went out the back door.

“I guess it’s just you and me now, John! Ready to have some fun?” Molly asked.

“Yeah, I’m really excited to work here. I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to be hired by Mrs. Hudson. She’s a real godsend.”

“She sure is. She’s like a second mother to everyone who works here. I’d better show you the register now so I don’t end up being scolded by her. I’d hate to feel her wrath.”

Molly was a good teacher. She went through how to take orders and charge people on the register. John knew it’d take him a bit to become efficient with the machine because technology seemed to hate him, but Molly was patient and willing to go through it again if he needed it. For the first few hours, things went smoothly. Customers came in, John greeted them and took their orders, Molly made the drinks, and they went on their way. Simple. John was building up his confidence and things were going really well. Molly was great and the customers were kind. He should’ve known it wouldn’t last.

A tall, tan woman with large sunglasses and a blonde bob haircut entered the shop. She walked up to the counter, her high heels _click click click_ ing with each of her steps. John smiled and opened his mouth to greet her when she spoke.

“I want a tall, non-fat caramel macchiato with sugar free vanilla syrup and extra caramel drizzle,” she told him as soon as soon as she’d gotten to the counter. John closed his mouth, a smile still on his face but now completely fake.

“Of course, that’s an excellent choice. I’m sorry though, I’m not sure what size a tall is? I’m new here…” John told her, his smile now apologetic.

“What is so difficult to understand? I said I wanted a tall. Starbucks never has to question my order.” She scowled at him and pulled her large sunglasses down just enough to glare at him over the lens.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but this isn’t Starbucks. Our sizes are small, medium, and large. If you could just tell us which size you’d like, we’d love to make your drink for you. And like I said, I’m new so I’m not used to the Starbucks lingo a lot of people use,” John told her. It had become almost painful for him to smile at this woman now. She was rude and a line was beginning to form behind her.

“You’re obviously not a good worker if you don’t even understand my order. I have no idea why you were even hired. You’re just a lazy slacker trying to make an easy buck.” John was pissed. Sure he was new, but he’d been kind and polite to her and now she was insulting him? Just as he took a deep breath to tell her that she could shove her non-fat caramel macchiato up where the sun don’t shine, Molly came to his rescue.

“Hey, John. Anything I can help with?” she asked.

“Yeah, actually, I—”

“I want a tall, non-fat caramel macchiato with sugar-free vanilla syrup and extra caramel drizzle.” the woman interrupted.

“Of course, that’s no problem!” Molly replied in a cheerful tone. She reached over to the register and clicked on the small size option which was twelve ounces. “John will just finish ringing you up and we’ll have that for you in just a minute,” Molly told her before walking back to the espresso machine.

John finished adding the customizations to the order and took the woman’s money. He was relieved when she didn’t argue with him any further and moved out of the way so he could start helping the long line of customers that had accumulated behind her.

For the remaining time of his shift, John continued helping customers and stocking when he and Molly had downtime. He felt worn out by the rude woman and his earlier optimism had completely dissipated. When his shift ended he was enormously relieved. He just wanted to go home, sit with a nice cup of tea, and relax. John knew he would face more rude customers and eventually as a doctor rude patients, but he had been hoping to get through his first day without any incidents. Apparently, that was too much to hope for.

“You alright, John?” Molly asked him as their shift ended.

“Yeah, just thinking about that woman from earlier.”

“Don’t worry, not all of the customers are like that. The bad ones are few and far between. Most of the customers are really great and the regulars are even better. Once you’ve been working here for a little while, you’ll learn some of the regulars’ orders and you can even start to bond with them. My favorite is Walter. He’s a really sweet old man who always orders a small latte in a mug and sits by the window with his newspaper. He always asks me how my classes are going and likes to talk about his cat named Pepper. You get a lot of wonderful people coming in here, and it’s amazing to learn about their lives in the few moments they’re here. Yeah, every once in a while you get a complete bitch like that woman earlier, but all the people you meet in between make it worth it.”

John felt a lot better after her little speech. “Thanks, Molly. I needed to hear that. But yeah, I agree. That woman was such a bitch.”

They laughed and Molly began telling John stories of other nightmare customers she’d had while working in Mrs. Hudson’s shop as they went out the door together.

_I think I’ll really like working here,_ John thought.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, John entered the shop to continue his training. Putting on his apron, he looked around expecting Molly to be around somewhere in the back. Not finding her anywhere, he returned to the front when he heard a deep voice from behind him.

“Good morning, John,” Sherlock said. Turning around, John saw his new coworker in all his beautiful glory. Wearing dark skinny jeans and a tight, purple button-up shirt, Sherlock looked absolutely delectable. The buttons of his shirt seemed to be hanging on for dear life and John licked his lips, wondering if they would lose the battle sometime during this shift.

Sherlock cleared his throat, causing John to look up at his face which was now a light pink. “Um… morning, Sherlock,” he responded with a crooked smile. “Sorry, I kind of assumed I’d be working with Molly today. That’s why I was wandering around.”

“Mrs. Hudson decided the two of us should get better acquainted with one another, so she had Molly’s shift switched with mine. So it seems you’re stuck with me for the duration of your shift.”

“Stuck with you? You make it sound like some sort of punishment,” John teased.

“For most people it would be. With the exception of Molly and Mrs. Hudson, no one else here can seem to tolerate me for any length of time.”

“Well, I’m not most people.”

“That you are not, John Watson. Shall we get started on your training now?”

******

“Can you remember all that?” Sherlock asked after giving John a long-winded informational lecture.

“Yes, no problem,” John replied with confidence.

Sherlock raised an eyebrow and asked, “So what goes into our hot cocoa and what quantities do we add?”

John took a moment to think. “A small gets three pumps of dark chocolate, one pump of marshmallow, steamed milk, and whipped cream. Then a medium gets four and two, and a large gets five and three.”

Sherlock seemed slightly impressed. “And a vanilla latte?”

“Two, three, four.”

“Very good, John. I do believe you will be acceptably useful when the time comes.”

“Thanks… I think,” John replied with a chuckle, scratching the back of his head.

“Now when we have down time such as now, we typically get smaller tasks accomplished such as dishes, dusting, sweeping, wiping tables, stocking, and so on. I believe we have some dishes in the back so I’ll show you how to fill up the sinks.” Before he even finished speaking, Sherlock was already heading into the back towards the sinks. John followed close behind him.

“The far left sink is for pouring out old coffee, rinsing airpots, and other such tasks and will remain unfilled. The one next to it is for detergent, the other for regular water to rinse, and the last is for sanitizer.” 

Bending down to point at the handles below each of the sinks, Sherlock said, “Down here is where you turn the handles to plug the sinks so you can fill them.” He remained bent of to turn each of the handles, presenting John a perfect view of his round, perky bottom.  _ Lord help me… He has a magnificent arse. _

Shaking his head to rid himself of such thoughts, John retrieved a towel. Sherlock had his sleeves rolled up by the time John returned, allowing John to feast his eyes on his pale, perfect skin.  _ Get a grip on yourself, Watson! Stop eyeing him up like he’s your next meal and you haven’t eaten in days. _

“So are you in uni? You already know I’m studying to be a doctor, so it’s only fair that you share something about yourself,” John said to Sherlock as they washed the dishes.

“Yes, we attend the same school although I’m studying chemistry.”

“You must be pretty smart, I’m pants at chemistry.”

“I’ve always had a fondness for seeing how chemicals react with one another, even as a child. Pursuing it seemed natural to me.”

“That’s how I feel about medicine. When I was a kid, I would always play doctor with my sister and bandage imaginary injuries. I realized that I still had a passion for it as I got older and here I am.”

They finished cleaning the dishes in a comfortable silence.  By the time they finished, Molly had arrived to take over and begin her shift.

“Well, it was nice working with you Sherlock. I hope I proved that I’m not most people since I look forward to working with you again.”

“You are an interesting human being, John Watson. I’m sure we’ll be working together again soon.” With that, Sherlock turned around, his coat twirling behind him like a cape, and left the shop.

John just looked at Molly who had been standing to the side since she’d arrived.

“Yeah, he’s always like that,” she told him with a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

John and Sherlock continued to work most of their shifts together and soon became fast friends. They both suspected that Mrs. Hudson was manipulating the work schedule to put them together, but neither of them confronted her about it, both secretly pleased to be working with each other.

John enjoyed Sherlock’s company immensely and loved to hear his deductions. When business was slow, they would look out the window, John pointing out people walking past and Sherlock would deduce them. He always thought Sherlock’s observations were brilliant and frequently said so, much to Sherlock’s pleasure. Whenever John would compliment him, his cheeks would turn pink and he’d turn away to hide it. Seeing this reaction only spurred John to cause it even more. He loved seeing his coworker and new friend blushing. Despite many people’s belief that Sherlock was arrogant, John had found that he was actually rather insecure and even shy at times. It made him proud that Sherlock seemed to let down his walls around him and allowed him to be close to the other boy.

On one incredibly slow day, John began doodling on the cup sleeves, drawing little pictures and smiley faces.

“What’s that?” Sherlock asked, pointing to the picture on the sleeve John was working on.

“It’s a penguin,” John replied.

“John, don’t be an idiot. Peng…. Penwings…” Sherlock began blushing, embarrassed.

“Sherlock, are you trying to say penguin?”  _ God, he’s adorable. He’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. I wish I could kiss one of those red hot, sharp cheekbones... _

“Don’t be ridiculous, John. I am perfectly capable of saying pen… p…  _ penguins _ ” Sherlock answered, saying the last word very slowly. “As I was saying  _ penguins  _ do not wear top hats nor do they carry canes. It is completely unnecessary for them to do so and it makes no sense for you to draw on that way.”

John laughed, “Okay, well how about you grab a cup sleeve and show me how  _ you’d _ draw a  _ penguin _ .”

Sherlock huffed. “Fine, I shall. Prepare to be educated on the proper way to draw a pengwing.” His eyes widened as he realized what he had said and John burst out laughing. Sherlock let out another huff and stormed off. John watched as Sherlock grabbed a cup sleeve and began drawing while seemingly sulking in the corner.

A little while later, John was stocking cups when a hand slammed something down on the counter in front of him.

“There!” Sherlock exclaimed. “I have finished my drawing.”

John picked up the sleeve and examined Sherlock’s penguin. It was more realistic than his and had a noticeable lack of a top hat or cane. “It’s very nice, Sherlock. I still think mine is better though.”

“John, mine is clearly superior. Now, stop being an idiot and just admit when you’ve been beaten.”

“Sherlock, you’re the one who’s being an idiot. My drawing is creative and cute and is by far the better one. But I can see there’s only one way to settle this.”

They both looked at each other in silence for a moment and then shouted in unison, “Mrs. Hudson!”

The older woman came out from the back in a hurry, “What is it, boys? Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine, Mrs. H. We were just hoping you could help settle an argument for us,” John told her.

“Oh, and what argument would that be, dear?”

“John and I each drew a picture and we would like you to confirm that mine is better than his,” Sherlock said.

“Oi! Just because mine is different doesn’t mean that it isn’t just as good or even better than yours you git,” John told him with a grin and a swat to the arm.

“Oh, you silly boys. I just knew you’d be great friends. Now, I have some scones in the oven, so you’d better show me the pictures so I can get back to them.” They showed Mrs. Hudson the pictures but she claimed that she couldn’t choose between the two. “They’re both wonderful, dears. I have to go check on those scones, but don’t you two start arguing again.”

“Yes, Mrs. Hudson,” they told her. As soon as she left, they resumed their argument.

After a few more minutes without any progress, John suggested, “How about if we ask the customers?”

“Excellent idea, John. It seems you do have one every once in a while.”

“Shut it, you twat. Let’s just see who wins by the end of our shift.”

**

John won.


End file.
